Famous Feuds: Gwyneth vs. Martha

“Last week I spoke to a group of journalists and one quoted me supposedly saying of Jane Lynch, ‘I don’t think she should have gotten the Emmy for that part,’” O’Neill said in a statement to EW. “I never said those words and transcripts of the press conference attest to that fact.”

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The news outlet originally reported that O’Neill said Lynch played a “one-note character” in Sue Sylvester, and his “Modern Family” co-star Sofia Vergara was more deserving of a golden statue.

Here’s what he actually said:

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I’m one of Jane Lynch’s biggest fans. I love Jane Lynch. She is a genius. But at the same time I said ‘Sophia could win’ because … and I’ve only seen Glee a couple of … I’ve only seen Glee once. But I thought Jane’s role is rather one-dimensional. It’s kind of strident. It’s always kind of the same. I’ve seen her be much better. So I thought ‘Sofia’s funnier,’ and I think she is in these two comparative roles. Anyway, Jane won. But I was hoping that Sophia would.

O’Neill added in his statement to EW that “of course” he would “root for my dear friends Sofia Vergara and Julie Bowen (and all of my colleagues on our show)” during the Emmys.

“But I absolutely never said, nor do I believe that Jane — whom I think is an enormous talent — was undeserving of the award,” he said.